A new knapsack for class

Katie Martin, left, and Wini Fletcher, right, prepare hamburgers and hot dogs for those who came to receive free school supplies Saturday. Fletcher said the event offered her the opportunity to feed stomachs as well as souls. (Staff photo by Kate Coil)

Dozens of backpacks and free meals were given out to those in need Saturday as part of one church’s efforts to give back to the community.

Volunteers and members of the New Life Church of Columbia spent their Saturday morning in a north Columbia neighborhood giving out hot meals and school supplies. Tammy Reynolds, a member of New Life church, organized the event as part of Hope is Coming Ministries, an outreach group she and her husband Rick lead.

“We wanted to give back to the community because we are so blessed. We feel the Lord laid this on our heart, and we just wanted to come out and serve,” she said.

About 100 backpacks filled with school supplies were given out to children during the event, she said. Many of the items in the backpacks were donated by local businesses and area churches.

Items were collected using the school supply lists given out by Maury County Public Schools. Supplies were divided up into backpacks for students in elementary, middle and high school. Having new backpacks and school supplies gives students the confidence they need to be successful, Reynold said.

“They want to be proud of what they’ve got, too,” she said. “They want to be happy they have a new backpack like everyone else. It’s not to say we have to keep up with everyone else, but it makes these kids feel good. They can walk in with a smile on their face and feel confident.”

The goal of the mission is to show love for others, Reynolds said.

“The most important thing is that complete strangers have come out to serve them, that we love them that much,” she said. “A lot of people are struggling these days and have lost their jobs. It takes that burden off of them. The smiles on their faces have been amazing. When they get our backpacks, they leave with huge smiles.”

Maria Guerrero worked to hand out backpacks to qualified students and to help translate for some church members.

“Our church loves to do community outreach and help other people,” she said. “It’s important to me because I feel like we need to do things for the community in need. I love reaching out to people.”

Those on the receiving end were not the only ones benefiting from the giveaway, Guerrero said.

“I’ve seen a lot of happy faces, which makes me feel good,” she said. “God is with us and we are working with him.

Wini Fletcher spent the day handing out meals to those attending the event.

“We are feeding their bellies as well as their souls,” she said. “It puts us into spiritual contact with the public, and we’ve had a good sized turnout.”

Helping out others in need is Fletcher’s way of paying it forward.

“People have given back to me, and I’m way past due for giving back to other people,” she said.

Darryl Martin, pastor of New Life Church, said the church has done other events in the past including giving out eyeglasses and helping local residents repair their homes. Martin said many people lined up early for the school supply giveaway.

“It was a great turnout,” he said. “We had a consistent flow of people for an hour or two hours.”

Martin said the event was a way for church members to show God’s love to the community.

“They have to deal with the embarrassment of not being prepared and not having what they need,” Martin said. “It’s a way of showing God cares about them and their needs. If the church doesn’t show people that how will they learn that? It also sets the kids up for academic success.”

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